A heavy stillness settled over the office.

In the silence, Burkhardt’s cold gaze pierced her heart, urging her to answer.

“Why can’t you answer? It’s not as if I asked a difficult question.”

The moment his voice brushed her ear again, it felt as though the air around them froze solid.

Sometimes, the sound of his breath breaking in uneven intervals frightened her.

It felt as if her heart might stop.

Why had she cut away all context and provoked him with such words?

Elizabeth bit her lip without thinking.

“Stop that. You’ll hurt your lips. If you must bite something, then chew on this instead.”

Burkhardt picked up a soft dacquoise and held it close to her lips.

The moist cream inside brushed lightly against her mouth, and before she realized it, Elizabeth’s tongue flicked out to taste it.

“Good, isn’t it?”

Elizabeth stared at him blankly for a moment, then flushed and gave a small nod.

Once he confirmed she had calmed down, Burkhardt’s voice softened to its gentlest tone.

“I won’t get angry. Won’t you tell me how you found out?”

A smile isn’t made by lifting the corners of the mouth alone.

Knowing his anger hadn’t truly subsided, Elizabeth cautiously returned his question with one of her own.

“If I tell you… what will happen to that person?”

“…If necessary, they’ll have to be eliminated.”

“Burke!”

“Beth, when it comes to my health, whether it’s a minor illness or something serious, it must never be made known. The moment it’s revealed, my political enemies will exploit it as a weakness.”

Burkhardt explained gently.

Hearing his reasoning, Elizabeth could only accept it—and finally, she had no choice but to speak.

“I don’t even know where to start. First of all… what I want to say isn’t something anyone told me directly.”

“Then how did you find out?”

His voice seemed to tremble slightly.

Elizabeth dismissed it as her imagination and carefully recalled the events of that day.

“During my walk, I was admiring the flowers when I happened to see a Luella tree in full bloom. Isn’t that strange? There’s a Luella tree here in the Clemens Empire. Normally, Luella trees only grow in Sirentium, and it’s not even their blooming season right now.”

“…I see.”

She had expected him to press her to skip unnecessary details, but instead, he listened calmly.

Thanks to that, Elizabeth was able to recount what she had seen that day without hesitation.

“As I followed the tree, I saw you and wanted to greet you. It was before my walk time, so I was happy to see you. But you were in the middle of a serious conversation with your physician. And by chance… I overheard it.”

Trailing off, Elizabeth watched Burkhardt’s expression. Somehow, she felt that if it were now, he might actually tell her about his illness.

“If I hear it from someone else, you might not like it. So… can’t you just tell me?”

Perhaps uncomfortable with her plea, Burkhardt cut her off curtly.

“It’s nothing more than a simple neurosis. There’s no need for you to worry about it.”

“I’m asking because I’m worried. Because I don’t want to harm you, and I want to help you in any way I can. Do you really have to shut me down like that?”

“…I’m not so weak that you need to worry. And I don’t want you to.”

He didn’t seem to realize that, even as he pushed her away with his words, he could at least allow her to worry.

It stung, but Elizabeth decided to step back. Pressing further would only drive them apart.

By then, Burkhardt had already changed the subject.

“Now, let’s talk about why you were sick. You’re saying it was because of the surveillance, right?”

Perhaps she should be grateful for the chance to avoid the topic of his health.

Setting aside her concern for him, Elizabeth once again explained her situation honestly.

“Marianne doesn’t interfere more than necessary, but… as you know, I was a commoner—”

“And became a countess.”

“Even when I became a countess, I wasn’t watched this closely. At the very least, when I went out to the rear garden of the estate, I was allowed to be alone.”

If she had been monitored as tightly as she was now, she might have failed to kill the count.

Of course, had she known in advance that Burke would come into her future, she would never have risked her life to slowly kill the count.

Yes—she should have left the act of killing her enemy to him.

Perhaps an even deeper, heavier grudge than her own was lodged in the depths of Burke’s heart.

The thought that she had even stolen his revenge weighed heavily on Elizabeth.

“Is that so? Sounds like the count gave you everything you wanted. Is that why your heart turned to him?”

“I’ve told you countless times—I never liked the count. Even when I tell you the truth, you never believe me.”

“I’ll believe it when you make me believe it. In any case, fine. I’ll lift the surveillance during your free time. Better that than having you bring up the count every time just to turn my stomach.”

She had expected it to end as mere venting.

But Burkhardt, as if to prove he meant to keep his word, gave an order to Marianne.

“Head maid. From now on, during her walks, leave Beth alone and focus on your actual duties.”

At last, she could enjoy true freedom.

Elizabeth felt as though she had regained at least a measure of his trust, and her spirits lifted.

“Beth. I was only concerned for you. I never wanted you to fall ill because you thought you were being watched.”

Burkhardt’s gaze softened.

At times, Elizabeth thought that being unwell wasn’t so bad—because it meant she didn’t have to struggle so desperately to earn his attention.

His request followed soon after.

“I don’t want you to hide anything from me.”

“Hide anything?”

“I want to know what you do with your days, what you feel in this palace, who you meet. I want to know about your entire life. So, when my eyes aren’t on you, I want you to tell me yourself.”

Rather than feeling burdened, Elizabeth was pleased by his words.

It was no different from him saying he would devote his time to her.

“Burke…”

“This is the one thing I can’t compromise on.”

She hadn’t even thought of refusing, yet it seemed Burkhardt had already assumed her answer.

Suddenly, he drew a small box from his br*ast and held it out to her.

“What’s this?”

Elizabeth opened the box to see Burkhardt’s gift.

Inside lay a single hairpin adorned with a gleaming black gemstone.

The roughly cut stone stirred her heart, bringing to mind a day from the past.

It pleased her more than wearing an ill‑fitting, extravagant dress or eating lavish foods that felt burdensome at a glance.

Perhaps uneasy at her silent, absent‑minded gaze upon the gift, Burkhardt hesitated before offering an explanation.

“I had reason to go out recently. I happened to see it and bought it. You wanted a hairpin like this, didn’t you?”

“You still remembered. You haven’t changed at all, but I…”

“I haven’t changed? Me?”

Suddenly, Burkhardt cut her off, his tone sharp with anger.

She had never meant to upset him, so Elizabeth offered a timid excuse.

“Do you think I gave you this gift just to hear that? I have no desire to bring up the past. Unlike before, I can give you anything you want now.”

“Burke, that’s not what I meant…”

“Then forget the wretched version of me from the past. Eat this instead and take care of your health. You’re sick because you only ever pick at your food.”

After that, no more words passed between them—

not until Elizabeth’s allotted time in the office had run out and she left.

***

Burkhardt gazed at the spot Elizabeth had just left, lost in thought.

Seeing her again after so long, so gaunt, made him frown without realizing it.

She had insisted on becoming a doll, yet her actions shrank back in contradiction to her words. It was absurd.

Just drawing near was enough to make her flinch…

Those fear‑stricken eyes—beneath them lay a well of sorrow.

Suddenly, the day they had reunited came to mind.

The image of Beth’s tear‑streaked face the morning after they had spent the night together was etched into his memory, making him still hesitant to touch her body.

“Ha… just the brush of Beth at my fingertips was enough to make my heart pound as if it would burst.”

And to speak so easily of leaving…

If Marianne hadn’t appeared at that very moment, Burkhardt might have lost control of his emotions and truly lashed out at Elizabeth—resorting to the very behavior he despised most.

Just as he managed to steady himself, she had to bring up his illness.

She was like a ball that could bounce in any direction without warning.

The look of fear she’d worn toward him, the wide‑eyed surprise when the sweet dacquoise touched her lips, the joy when she received his gift—all of it flickered through his mind in passing.

If only things had ended well… could they have grown a little closer?

As Burkhardt let out a sigh and pressed his fingers firmly against his brow, Geraldine entered.

“Did you have a good conversation with Her Majesty?”

“Can you really say that after looking at me right now?”

“You prepared so much, after all.”

Ignoring Geraldine’s glib remark, Burkhardt changed the subject.

“There’s a problem.”

“A problem?”

“I wasn’t mistaken about seeing Beth that day. And I even heard mention of an illness.”

“That’s impossible! Your Majesty is the only one who can open the maze garden. And setting that aside—how could your illness have been discovered?”

As expected, Geraldine took it with the gravity he had anticipated.

Burkhardt let out a sigh and offered her a suitable course of action.

“For the time being, nothing will be said. I’ve already taken measures. Since Beth still seems to like wealth and power, I’ll have to show her the portrait archive. Once she understands what kind of man I am, she’ll turn her attention away from my illness.”

“Understood.”

“And I should look for any related records. I need to know if something like this has happened before.”

“I’ll prepare that as well.”

Geraldine was jotting down the list of tasks when Burkhardt seemed to fall briefly into thought, then spoke again.

“Let’s skip today’s walk.”

“…What?”

Geraldine’s eyes widened so much they looked ready to pop out.

Burkhardt smiled faintly, as if it were nothing, and explained his reasoning.

“If she can’t see my face, Beth will only want to seek me out more.”